Knight of the Wind, Princess of Fire
by Storm Hawk 21
Summary: AU human fic. Sonic has always felt different. He's never questioned it until a certain pyrokinetic princess transfers to his class. His life is never the same when his school is attacked by robots and he is made the protector of seven emeralds of power, chaos. He's thrust into a whole new world of adventure as a novice knight and he needs to learn. Fast. And fast is what he does.
1. Wind and Fire Meet

Yo, Storm Hawk 21 here with a new story. When I was writing the other day, the idea for this just sort of got stuck in my head and refused to get out. I ended up writing it, and it eventually developed into this. I plan on continuing it, but if you could review and help me improve my writing, that'd be great.

Oh, and let me apologize in advance if I make any of the characters OOC.

Without further ado, let me present the first chapter of Knight of the Wind, Princess of Fire.

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat, DO NOT own Sonic the Hedgehog. This is a fanfiction, fiction written by a fan. Meaning I don't get paid for writing this.

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Chapter 1 – Wind and Fire Meet

_Metal City, 11:50 P.M._

Speed. Nothing but speed. That's all that mattered right now. And I am speed personified. Forget my opponent. I am fast. I am quick. I'm supersonic.

I am… way past cool.

I smirked as I emerged from the shadows into the gathering of riders, both my wild mane of cobalt hair and signature, two-tone blue windbreaker flying wildly in the gusts of wind generated by the Extreme Gears. As always, I was sporting my green and white sunglasses atop my head and carrying my own custom Gear, Blue Star, tucked firmly underneath my arm. As soon as people saw me, they erupted into cheers.

Yeah, it's pretty awesome to be me right about now.

From the makeshift stage, a blonde-haired kid in an aviator jacket and black slacks was shouting into the mike. "Quiet down! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the speed demon, the master of faster, the sovereign of swift, the blue blur, the fastest thing alive–"

"Tails!" I yelled in irritation. Sometimes my friend could really get carried away. Besides, there was only one title I need. Up on the stage, a teen sporting an old brown cowboy hat over his red locks took the mike from his excitable companion.

"What he means is, give it up for SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!"

The crowd erupted into even louder cheers. I grinned and gave my friends a thumbs up. Waiting at the start was my latest challenger for the title of number one, some green-haired guy who was probably my age. He didn't seem to be affected at all by the atmosphere. In fact, he looked almost as cool as I was.

Almost. There wasn't a single soul alive who was as cool as me.

Somewhere in the background, I could hear my rival being introduced as "Jet the… some bird or something" by a violet-haired chick wearing a bandana. I wasn't really paying attention right now. All that existed was me, my Gear, and the track.

Jet looked at me once before scoffing and returning his gaze to the road ahead of them. "YOU are supposed to be the fastest? Ha! This'll be easier than I thought." He glanced at my Extreme Gear and seemed to be holding back laughter. "There's no way you can beat me with that floating scrap board."

"I'll make you eat those words and my dust," I retorted. It was one thing to insult me, but no one gets away with insulting my gear. Or my friends.

I could faintly hear Tails and that bandanna girl arguing about something. Apparently they know each other or something. My red-haired friend, Knuckles, was chilling with a large dude who was wearing the same emblem as the other two.

"Today, the Babylon Rogues shall be restored to their former glory," Jet muttered under his breath.

"Keep dreaming, Bird Boy," I cheekily replied. The crowd quickly parted to give us room for a running start. We backed up and anxiously waited for the countdown.

On stage, Tails had finally managed to swipe back the mike. "Quit it Wave! Oh yeah? Well, you–huh? The mike's still on?" The two had the decency to look sheepish over the fact that their whole 'disagreement' was broadcasted straight to their audience. Tails cleared his throat.

"Err, I mean, the race is going to be three laps around Metal City. We'll be tracking your progress from here via monitor. Feel free to follow any path you want and the only rule is that you have to pass through all five check points before returning back here. First one who does this three times is the champion." Wave swiped the mike from Tails, much to his annoyance.

"Oh, and before Mr. Goody-Goody Inventor here forgets to mention, this is an _underground_ event. Meaning, if you get caught by the cops, you're on your own. So good luck, and try not to crash." She tossed the mike back to Tails, who barely managed to catch it, before hopping off the stage. Tails sighed.

"As my gracious (coughnotevenclosecough) co-host has just mentioned, don't get caught. Now, ARE YOU READY TO RACE?"

"YEAH!" was the unanimous reply.

"Jet of the Babylon Rogues, are you ready?"

"Of course."

"Sonic of the Sonic Heroes, are you ready?"

"Definitely!"

"Then let's start the countdown!" Above them, the monitor displayed a flashing countdown starting from five. Jet and I glared at each other before tensing up. Four. Three. Jet started running, but I didn't budge. Two. One. Jet was almost at the start when I sprang forward, zooming past Jet to the start.

GO!

We were evenly matched. Neither side managed to gain an advantage long enough for it to have any significant difference. We dashed past all of the checkpoints in record time, and were dead-even as we completed the first lap. With the second lap, both of us began busting out tricks and riding the turbulence to try to get ahead. While we were now alternating between who passed which checkpoint first, we were still too even when we crossed the starting line.

The final lap. We started going big with our tricks and dashing like there was no tomorrow. After all, there was no need to keep conserving air. It was all or nothing. I love this feeling. The adrenaline-pumping rush, the heart-stopping thrill, and, more importantly, the wind as it rushes past me. I've never felt more alive than I was right now.

I had to give credit to my opponent. Jet was good. It's been a while since someone could keep up with me like this. But I was still going to be the first one to cross that finish line.

Speaking of which, the finish line was in sight now. Both of us had just passed the last checkpoint neck-to-neck, and were steadily approaching the finish. I could hear the crowd and my friends cheering, but I couldn't hear them. Right now, nothing else mattered. It was just me, my Gear, and the finish. Victory was within my grasp…

* * *

_Station Central High, Emerald City, 8:10 A.M._

"Riccio Vento-Cavaliere! WAKE UP!"

"Whoa!" I very narrowly avoided falling out of my chair and sat back down with a relieved sigh. I had to take a quick look around. Wasn't I just…

Oh. That's right. The race was yesterday. My board ran out of air, and I had to sprint to the finish. Me and Jet tied. Neither of us was satisfied, so we arranged a rematch in a couple of weeks. I wish we could do it sooner, but if we hold these races too often, it increases the risks of getting caught.

Around me, my classmates were snickering. Except for Tails and Knuckles, who, as far as I could tell, were asleep as well. Well, Knuckles was. Tails was valiantly trying – and failing – to stay awake. The teacher caught me looking and followed my glance to his slumbering friends. I winced and silently apologized to them as the teach stalked her way over to their desks.

"Miles Prower! Stark Anderson!" The two instantly shot to attention, leaping to their feet and saluting.

"Yes ma'am, Ms. Esmeralda, ma'am!" This time our classmates were laughing without restraint. I managed a smirk. The teacher was far from amused.

"At ease, soldiers," she resignedly sighed. The two dropped back to their seats. She was tired of us, that was clearly displayed on her expression. My guess is that she would've called the disciplinary committee if she (and the rest of the teachers as well as the student body) wasn't so afraid of them.

"Normally, this is the point when I'd be assigning you three detention," Ms. Esmeralda sighed again. She was only in her late-twenties and she was already too old for this. "But apparently that isn't really doing anything, so I need to think of new punishments for you. In the meantime, get back in your seats, stay in your seats, and be quiet in your seats!"

We quickly complied. For now. I glanced longingly out the window. It was a perfect day for riding. What I wouldn't give to be out of class and tearing it up on my Extreme Gear right now.

"Now as I was saying," Ms. Esmeralda continued from where she seemingly left off before. I silently groaned before tearing himself away from the window and actually started paying attention, for once. "We have a new transfer student today." That got the class talking. "Quiet! I said QUIET!" Silence. "Good. Come on in Natsumi."

A girl walked into the classroom, which again got the class talking. I instantly sat up. No, it isn't what you think. I'm not that shallow. Plus, I'm certain I've never seen this girl before in my life.

"I am Natsumi Hineko. I will be attending Station Central High starting today. Please take care of me." She bowed.

I guess she could be considered pretty, if the stares she was receiving from the male portion of the class was anything to go by. She had medium-length, lilac-colored hair (natural, it couldn't be dyed) with violet tips worn in a half-ponytail. She was wearing a short purple jacket with long coattails and a red trim, a blouse and skirt that matched her hair, white leggings, and magenta (was that the right name for that color? I don't really care) heels with white soles. When she stood back up, I noticed her eyes were a golden color, and somehow reminded me of a cat.

But that wasn't what got my attention. No, it was something I couldn't see. Something in the air around her. I could feel my good-luck charm growing warm in the hidden pocket inside my windbreaker.

The class politely applauded. I just continued to stare at her. Ms. Esmeralda noticed. I didn't need to be psychic to know when she was scheming something.

"Riccio, why don't you show her around for the next couple of days." So that's what it was. I can still get out of this, though. "And don't worry about your detention." Darn. "Oh, and if you misbehave or cause trouble in any way, _I will personally make sure that you are suspended and/or possibly expelled!_" Yikes. And she was still using that 'sweet' tone when she was threatening me. Dropping the maliciousness, she turned back to Natsumi. "There's an empty seat next to Riccio. Why don't you sit there?"

Natsumi nodded and made her way to her new seat. Along the way, I could see some of our classmates giving her looks of pity. Hmph. Tails tried to give her a smile while Knuckles just grunted. When she sat down, I decided to introduce myself. Hey, there's no reason for me to be a bad neighbor, now is there?

"Hey," I held out my hand. "The name's Riccio, but everybody just calls me Sonic."

She looked at my hand for a second before shaking it. "And I am Natsumi Hineko. Call me 'Blaze'. It is a pleasure to meet you, _Sonic the Hedgehog_. I get the feeling that this year will be most… interesting." She said cryptically before turning back to the front of the classroom, where Ms. Esmeralda was beginning her lecture on something I could not bring myself to care about.

I just continued to stare at her. "Interesting" is one way of putting it.

* * *

Something I noticed about our new "friend" while she was in class (apparently she and I had the same schedule. It wasn't like I was stalking her or staring at her the whole time. It's just an observation), was that, despite her nickname, she was _cold_.

She refused to speak up aside from when I introduced myself and whenever she was called on, but when she did talk it was usually in an emotionless tone. She blatantly ignored any and all attempts for others to talk to her, rejected all notes passed her way, and one time shoving her eraser into the mouth of some poor fellow who didn't know when to shut up. He ended up choking and Knuckles had to give him the Heimlich. He was later sent to the infirmary with bruised ribs.

On a side note, I'm fairly certain that eraser boy preferred choking. Knuckles sometimes really doesn't know his own strength.

After the eraser incident, nobody seemed particularly eager to talk to her. By the time the lunch bell rang, Blaze had already built up a reputation as an "Ice Queen".

Everyone fled out the door as soon as the bell echoed it's glorious song throughout every hallway. Well, everyone except me and Blaze. She was taking her time while I was impatiently waiting near the door. I crossed my arms and continued to repeatedly tap my foot against the ground. At this point, I was tempted to say, "I'm _waaaaiiiiitttiiiiinnnggg_!" for some reason. I would've too, but it's uncool to whine like that.

At least it wasn't chili dog day. That fact comforted me a bit.

"I am sorry for delaying you," Blaze said from beside me. I jumped. I didn't even notice her approaching. I did notice that my good-luck charm was getting warm again. But this time it also felt heavier, for some reason.

"Whatever," I replied.

She was about to say something, but she was interrupted by shrieks of terror coming from outside. I ran to the window, but all I could see was people fleeing from something in the courtyard.

"Stay here," I told her before jumping out the window. Unfortunately I forgot that we were on the third floor. I narrowly managed grabbed the ledge and dropped down onto the vents on the second floor. From there, I jumped and caught the rain drain pipe before sliding down. Once I was close enough, I kicked off the wall and backflipped onto the rail for the ramp.

I hopped down and started running to the courtyard. Normally, people run _away _from something that induces terror-filled screams in other people. What can I say? I've never exactly been normal.

By the time, I arrived, the courtyard was devoid of people. And for a perfectly good reason. Some kind of giant robot was wreaking havoc upon the school. For those who don't quite understand, I repeat, a GIANT ROBOT was WREAKING HAVOC!

The robot turned in my direction, and it's eyes flashed.

"Emerald signature detected. Initiating retrieval." It menacingly began stomping its way towards me.

I stumbled backwards, before landing on my backside. My good-luck charm was practically searing at this point, and it felt heavy enough to tear through my jacket. I took it out: a green gem, no bigger than my thumb. It was glowing. Literally. Was this what it meant by emerald?

It had almost reached me when a blast of fire came flying and exploded right in its face, forcing the machine to stagger. I turned around and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

Standing there, with her hands engulfed in flames and golden eyes glowing brighter than ever, was Blaze. There was some kind of scepter along with a sheathed sword strapped to her back. She looked at me and her eyes widened slightly when she saw what I was holding. With the robot momentarily stunned, she extinguished her hands and approached me.

She knelt so we were eye-to-eye. "You have two options. One, you run away and pray that this is all some twisted dream while I take care of that mechanical monstrosity." She grabbed the front of his jacket and dragged him closer. "After which I will hunt you down and fry your memories so you'll forget everything."

Something tells me that she was serious about the 'frying' part. I gulped. "And what's the second option?"

She released me, unbuckled the sword and threw it at me. I caught it with an grunt. "You take that sword and become a knight, my vassal. Be warned, this battle is merely one of many that we will undoubtedly encounter in the future. If you choose this path, it is likely you shall never return to your normal life ever again."

I stared at the sword, then at Blaze. Hmm, become her knight or run away and have her track him down and roast his head. Wow, talk about a dilemma.

I smirked. "Knight me."

"Very well," she said. She stood up. "Kneel." I shifted into a kneeling position. She unsheathed the blade and placed it on my shoulders. "Under the authority of the Imperial Princess of Sol, I name thee Sir Sonic, and appoint thou as my vassal. Now rise, Knight of Blaze."

I stood up, not really feeling any difference. She reversed her grip on the sword and handed it back to me. It was a simple steel blade, with a cross-shaped hilt over a metal disk of some sort. Along the hilt were seven indentations, evenly spaced from one another. I would examine that later, once we took care of that robot. But first…

"You know, I think 'Knight of the Wind' fits me better." Blaze sighed.

"We shall discuss this another time. Now, let's go!" She surged forward, relighting her palms. I smirked as I watched her _dance_ across the courtyard, shooting fireballs at the robot, which had finally managed to recover.

I ran after her, sword flashing in the sunlight and feeling far more confident than I actually was. I was probably going to be smashed by a hulking heap of scrap or roasted by my princess if I get in the way. I was probably going to end up fighting even more of these things and I was definitely going to get hurt.

But you know something? I think I could get used to this.

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Character Corner

Name: Riccio "Sonic the Hedgehog" Vento-Cavaliere

Age: 15

Class: KNIGHT

Equipment: Caliburn

Nationality: Half-Italian

Appearance: Emerald green eyes. Wild, untamed mane of cobalt blue hair. Wears an opened, two-tone blue windbreaker (the upper half and sleeves are a dark blue while the rest is a regular blue); an orange t-shirt; white riding gloves; dark blue jeans; white socks; and red sneakers with white soles fastened by a white strap with a golden buckle. Often wears blue goggles or his white sunglasses with green lenses.

Bio: Impatient, somewhat of a slacker, and largely conisdered immature (though he is quite intelligent when he stops to think, but that's rather rare), Sonic earned his nickname simply by being the fastest. From track to skateboarding and especially Extreme Gear. He loves the rush that comes with going fast. The hedgehog part came from his first name, which means "hedgehog" in Italian. His last name loosely translates to "Wind Knight". He can also be sharp and observant, but terribly dense at the same time. Most of the time, he is cool and unruffled, but Amy Rose never fails to terrify him with her aggressive approach. Can be ADHD, and obsessed with chili dogs. He's also currently banned from playing soccer due to his tendency to jump on people or hitting them with the ball. Attends Station Central High with his two best buds, Tails and Knuckles.

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**Thanks for reading everybody. Remember to leave your thoughts in the form of a review.**


	2. Study Knight

Yo fanfiction world! Storm Hawk 21 here is back with the next chapter for Knight of the Wind, Princess of Fire. It's hard to write stories with so many things to distract me on the internet, mainly anime. I've watched at least twenty episodes in one day, and I'm still trying to beat that. But oh well. I will still continue to update, just maybe not that fast.

Oh, and I apologize in advance if any of the characters are OOC. I do hope that this chapter sheds some light on some things, though. I ain't entirely certain which direction I want this story to go, but I hope that I can at least make it enjoyable for you guys and gals to ready.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. You hear that? Me no own Sonic. Let me repeat, I space DON'T space OWN space SONIC.

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Chapter 2 – Study Knight

_Station Central High, Emerald Town, 12:04 P.M._

You know, fighting a huge robot that very much resembled a red and yellow egg with arms, legs, and a really, _really _bad mustache seemed to be a whole lot easier in my head. Then again, in my head, I'm an anthropomorphic, cobalt blue/cyan blue hedgehog that's capable of running faster than the speed of light and possesses a whole slew of other abilities that would take a while to list and/or explain. Oh, and I'm also wielding a legendary knightsword that is actually Excalibur in disguise.

In reality, however, I'm scrambling all over the place trying not to get squashed or toasted (I swear, it's almost like Blaze is aiming at me). My sword is barely any longer than a knife, and serves only to only scratch and irritate the mustachioed mechanical monstrosity. Not to mention my swordsmanship was, as Tails might say, "utterly abominable". I'm also starting to get pretty tired, and I'm just narrowly managing to dodge this thing's clumsy attacks.

During a brief interval between attacks, I sneak a glance to my partner (or is it princess? I'm not too sure) and I can honestly say that I'm not surprised to find that she's faring much better than I am. In fact, she's barely broken a sweat! She looks kind of annoyed, though. I guess that she would've taken this thing down already if it wasn't so flame-retardant. Then my gaze shifts to her weapon.

It was a staff, or scepter, of sorts, with some jewels inlaid in its head. I counted four in total, but there seemed to be some notches where more could be placed. Each gem flashed in accordance with her flames, almost like they were… linked.

I looked at my own sword and at the similar recesses carved into the hilt. Maybe…

I took out my good-luck charm and noticed that it could possibly fit. I was dimly aware that the robot had resumed its offensive, and Blaze was yelling at me. Something about, "Sol Emeralds… function… activates… requires…" and "GET BACK IN THE FIGHT ALREADY!"

But I ignored her. Hesitantly, I set the small emerald into one of the niches. It 'clicked' in place and I waited. Then, it seemed like time stopped. The sword began glowing, and I'm not sure if it was the ground shaking or if it was me. The blade lengthened to a little over twice its original length, making it a good few inches longer than my arm. Even when the lights died down, the shaking did not stop, and at this point I am certain that it wasn't just me. Blaze was struggling to keep her balance and the robot had toppled over.

Suddenly, a soft voice that filled me with warmth said, "Awaken, protector of the emeralds of chaos. The world once again needs your help. Do not let the world fall to Chaos."

Then, as abruptly as it began, it was over. The only proof that it actually happened was Blaze staring at me in surprise, the robot struggling to rise from where it had fallen into one of the buildings, and my newly lengthened blade.

I also felt… different. Faster, stronger, lighter. Suddenly the sword didn't feel so awkward in my hands anymore. My vision and my reflexes were much sharper.

While I was busy examining myself, the machine decided that it was a good time to deliver an attack. But, it was moving so slow. I could easily dodge this. But I didn't. Instead, I ran towards it, climbing up one of its legs and kicking off its chest. Once in the air, I curled up into a ball, held my sword out, and _spun_.

I tore through the metal with ease, cleaving the robot in half. It would've been more impressive if I hadn't landed on my face afterwards. OW!

I picked myself up and rolled out of the way in the nick of time, just as the machine collapsed into a pile of scrap and exploded. I smirked and hefted my sword over my shoulder before glancing back at Blaze. She wasn't there anymore.

Just as I was going to take a look around, I felt something connecting with my cheek and a very sharp pain emanating from the point of impact. Plus, my face was still smarting from my earlier faceplant. My knees buckled and I fell on my back again.

Looking up, I saw an irritated Blaze. She grabbed me by the collar, picked me up, and began to violently shake me. "Why didn't you do that sooner? What happened to your sword? What is this 'protector of the emeralds of chaos' business? And more importantly, WHERE DID YOU GET A SOL EMERALD?"

"I… don't… know…what… you're talk…ing about!"

"The Emerald you put into your sword!" She finally decided to stop shaking me, but she was still ticked. And I was dizzy. But at least now I could answer her.

"You mean my good-luck charm?" She nodded. "I've always had it with me. I don't remember when or where I got it, I just know that it's not a Sol Emerald."

"How?"

I was about to answer her when I heard sirens in the distance. Really? The cops are just getting here now, _after_ we beat that thing?

Blaze seemed to hear it too. "We are not done. Do you have a place where we can talk without interruptions?" I nodded, unsure where she was going with this. "Good. Take me there." Without even waiting for me to reply, she began dragging me along. I managed to grab my sword from where I dropped it. I returned it to its sheath, idly noting that it grew along with the sword. I couldn't dwell on the issue for too long, as Blaze just pulled harder and I desperately tried to stay on my feet.

What have I gotten myself into?

_Sonic's Hideout, 12:45 P.M._

It took longer to get here than I thought, since we had to avoid being seen by other people. Two kids with weapons and covered with post-battle grime walking away from a flaming, half-demolished school? Reporters would eat that up. But all that matters is that we've arrived.

Where? Read the location.

It wasn't anything fancy, just an abandoned construction site. The fence was still up, the building (it was supposed to be a warehouse, I think) was half-finished under the tarps, and the construction equipment was steadily gathering dust. The contractor just left it like this; I don't know why they never finished. Something about a strike from the workers. Whatever. I found this place was perfect for me to ride my Extreme Gear.

I guess this place was like my own escape. Nobody else knows about this place, not even Tails or Knuckles. It was supposed to stay that way too, but I couldn't think of anywhere else. Besides, it wasn't like Blaze would just blab about it to everyone, right?

Right? … Who the heck am I talking to?

I led her to a hole in the fence I had discovered a couple of years back. She didn't seem to mind crawling or getting dirty, unlike most stereotypical princesses. Then again, nothing was stereotypical about Blaze. I can honestly say that about her, and I just met her this morning. It's kind of weird, but it feels like I already knew her before today.

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing here?" asked Blaze.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. You said you wanted a private place to talk, right? Then follow me." I ducked under the tarp, pushing away those thoughts for later. Burn that bridge when I get there. No pun intended.

In one of the corners, I took the liberty of furnishing the place a bit. Nothing much, just an old recliner someone threw out, a patched-up mattress with equally patched blankets, an ice chest, and a small camp stove. My back-up Extreme Gear, Blue Star II, was leaning against the wall. Clothes and various supplies were strewn about everywhere. Some candles, a flashlight, empty instant noodle bowls and water bottles, etc…

I may not live here, but I do spend quite a bit of time hanging out here. No reason why I should be uncomfortable.

"Make yourself comfortable," I gestured towards the chair and mattress. Blaze chose the recliner, only to find that it couldn't recline anymore. I shrugged and grabbed a soda from the chest, mentally noting to restock my supply.

"Enough stalling. Explain what happened." It wasn't a request.

I plopped down onto the floor. I took a deep breath. "I… don't know."

"_What_?"

"Exactly what that means. I instinctively knew what to do as soon as I put my lucky charm into the sword. The lights, quake, and voices I'm pretty much clueless about, though."

"Fine. Then your 'lucky charm', you claim it's not a Sol Emerald, but then why does it react in the presence of other Sol Emeralds and emit the same vibes? And how did it come into your possession?"

"Again, some part of me just knows that it isn't a Sol Emerald, whatever that is. And it's always been with me."

Blaze sighed. Clearly she wasn't satisfied with any of my answers. "If it isn't a Sol Emerald, then what is it?"

I was about to reply with another "I don't know", but something stopped me. "The emeralds with the power of chaos," I said instead. "Chaos Emeralds. And I'm supposedly their protector."

THAT got a reaction from her. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped. This was the most expressive I've seen her be all day!

"Chaos Emeralds…? Then, could it be…?" She began mumbling something I couldn't really hear. But I did manage to catch the words "legend", "dimensions", "duty", and "sword".

Figuring that I wouldn't get anywhere if I just let her continue on like that, I interrupted, "BY sword, do you mean Caliburn?"

Blaze nearly jumped out of the chair, like she forgot I was even there. "Y-yes." She cleared her throat. "How did you know the name? Wait, let me guess, 'you just knew', right?"

"Actually the name's on the sheath."

Blaze huffed. This was starting to get fun. "Anyways, Caliburn is a treasure passed down in my family, along with the Jeweled Scepter. Supposedly, adding Emeralds to it will increase both the sword and the wielder's power. But it never reacted with any of the Sol Emeralds, so I'm beginning to think that your 'Chaos Emeralds' might be the key to unlocking its full potential.

"You see, these Emeralds, if they are anything like the Sol Emeralds and I believe that they might exist parallel to each other, are abundant with a special kind of energy produced from within the stones. You seem to harbor some sort of connection with them, so both you and Caliburn will grow once you collect more. It's highly likely that–"

"Whoa, slow down there," I cut her off. Princess or not, my head already hurts. Besides, I'm not one for studying. I'm more of a 'get-it-done' type of person. "Long explanation short, all I need to do is collect more of these rocks until all of these spaces are filled, and for each Emerald both the sword and I get stronger. I don't need to know the specifics."

This time Blaze pouted. It was kind of cute, actually. Now if you excuse me, I need to smack my head into the wall for using the word 'cute'.

"So milady, what really brings you here?" I asked. Blaze actually looked a bit hesitant to answer. "Can't help you if you don't tell me."

She sighed resignedly. "Don't call me that. I… caught the trail for one of the Sol Emeralds and it lead me here. There were a multiple readings, but most of them led to nowhere. One of the more promising signals was emanating from Station Central, so I transferred there. It turns out that it was just your Chaos Emerald."

It made sense, but she was deliberately leaving something out. Well, she has her secrets, I guess. I have my own, after all.

…I probably shouldn't have said that. At least it's just in my thoughts. It's not like people can read them, right?

"So, what are you going to do now?" Hey, it couldn't hurt to ask, right?

"I am going to search for the remaining Sol Emeralds," she replied instantly. "I need to make sure that they do not fall into the wrong hands."

"Like the guy who sent that robot from before?"

"Yes." Blaze pulled out a crumpled photo from her pocket and tossed to me. I un-crumpled it and found myself looking at what might possibly be the most repugnant man on the planet. I really don't want to have to describe him, but it's in the contract…

This… eggman was exactly that: an egg on legs with arms attached. He was wearing a red coat with white straps and yellow buckles and cuffs, white gloves, black pants that seemed to barely fit his bulk, and a pair of black boots with white laces. He was bald, wearing a pair of circular, reflective glasses along with a pair of inventor's goggles and he had had a very creepy grin, beak-like nose (I would like to apologize to every bird in existence for that), and the worst mustache I have ever seen, including the one on the robot. Wait a minute…

"Let me guess, Eggman here is the one who sent that robot?"

Blaze nodded. "His name is Dr. Ivan Robotnik. He used to be a brilliant inventor and a leader in the world of robotics. It was rumored that he was one day going to revolutionize the entire world with his creations. But around five years ago, he just… vanished." I remember Tails telling me something about that. As an inventor himself, Tails was privy to news about stuff like this despite only being five at the time.

She handed me another picture, more crumpled than the previous one. After straightening it out, I was looking at what was probably Eggman's evil twin. Or eviler twin.

He was the same as Eggman in every way, right down to the shape, except that his colors were inversed. He had a black and yellow coat with white buttons and a red bodysuit that led into a pair of black and yellow striped boots. Also, he had semi-circular glasses, a different pair of goggles, and he had white hair rather that brown.

"A few months after his disappearance, he reemerged with this man, who also happens to be a scientist. He calls himself 'Nega'. Both of them began using their machines to create heinous acts of villainy, which normally centered on retrieving gems of some sort."

"The Emeralds," I guessed. Blaze nodded in affirmation. She paused for a moment, as if she wasn't sure how to continue. A moment turned into a minute. A minute turned into several minutes. Several minutes turned into half an hour.

Okay, I think they get it already.

I impatiently began fidgeting. It was difficult for me to stay still for too long, and it seemed like Blaze probably wasn't going to say anything soon. Finally, I gave in and said, "I'm wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-ting!"

She glared at me. "This is a very difficult topic for me to discuss. You cannot expect me to just tell you straight out."

"Well excu-u-u-u-u-u-u-se me Princess," I cringed at the expression. If I used that too often, I'd take up a vow of silence for the rest of my life now and any/all of my incarnations in the future.

That seemed to trigger something in Blaze as she stood up and glared at me with an intense burning. Literally. Her eyes were on fire!

"Excuse you? Excuse you?" she repeated disdainfully. "How am I supposed to tell you about how my family was given the duty, nay, the honor of guarding the Sol Emeralds and has been passing the role of guardian down for generations? And how that role was eventually succeeded by me, the girl with the cursed flames? Or how they were stolen under my watch?

"My entire life, people saw me as a monster all because of this accursed fire! I thought that I might finally be able to prove myself to everyone by using this curse to protect these stupid rocks, like my noble ancestors before me. But no, I couldn't ever have something go well for me because they were stolen by those blasted Eggmen the one moment I let my guard down!

"I couldn't face anybody after this had happened, so I ran! Go ahead and laugh at me. I ran away from everything and I intend to never return until after I recover the Sol Emeralds and restore them to their rightful places. Otherwise I'll never amount to nothing more than a monster to those people!" Blaze broke down and fell to her knees, sobs wracking her entire body. She desperately tried to stop, but she couldn't.

I froze. That fire in her eyes, she… she was actually crying. With tears made of flame. I may be new to this whole 'knight' thing, but I'm certain that making a girl, especially your princess/liege, was on the "Do NOT Do" list. I hesitantly stood up, but Blaze didn't stop.

Aw man, this is so not cool.

I dug around my pocket and produced a blue handkerchief. Tails and Knuckles had laughed at me when I decided to get a fireproof one. Well, who's laughing now? Not me, since I still have to deal with Blaze.

I handed her the piece of cloth and she took it without question. She dabbed at the small fires trailing down her face. I waited a few moments before I said anything.

"I'm sorry. Please stop crying." That's right, not only did I, Riccio "Sonic the Hedgehog" Vento-Cavaliere, apologize, I also said please. Somebody call the record books!

Blaze sniffled. "It's alright. I… should not have broken down like that."

I lowered myself to one knee to I could speak to her eye-to-eye. "Don't worry about it. If you hold everything in for too long, then you might just burst someday. Besides, there's nothing like a brief lapse into madness to relieve stress, I always say." She gave a very small smile (I almost couldn't see it and I get the feeling I wasn't supposed to) and wiped the last of her tears before handing me back my handkerchief. It wasn't even hot, just a nice, pleasant warm.

"Hey, princess…" I began, but she cut me off.

"Blaze, just Blaze, Sonic. You might be my knight, but I am practically an exiled princess. Besides, I never cared much for that title."

"Fine… Blaze? You wouldn't happen to have a place to stay, would you?"

Her eyes widened. "I was so focused on retrieving the Emeralds that I might have neglected certain… things."

I chuckled. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making fun of her. It's just that she's… different from anybody else I know. A good different. "Then why don't you stay with me at my place? I've got plenty of room."

"Would your parents mind?"

My mood dampened slightly, but I was careful not to let it show. "I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind having a guest stay over more than having me fight a giant egg-bot. _That is, if they were around at all_…"

I hadn't meant for that last part to come out, but judging from Blaze's expression I had probably sounded very angry.

"What did you just say?"

"Yeah, um… the thing is… how can I put this?" I mentally berated myself for slipping like that, but I might as well tell her since she (albeit forced and angrily) told me about her situation. "I never really knew them. As far as I can remember, my mom left me on my uncle's doorstep when I was still a baby. I know nothing about my dad."

"Oh, I am sorry to–"

"Don't," I interjected. "I got tired of hearing that after the first time. Besides, I like living with my uncle Chuck. He's way past cool."

"Then he would not mind if…"

"Yeah man. You can stay with us for as long as you need, and I'm sure I'm speaking for the both of us." Then, I 'innocently' mentioned, "Besides, he's off at a science expo so it'll just be the two of us."

I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the building. When I looked back, I have to admit that I guiltily enjoyed her flustered expression. Not that I would ever do or even try anything. That wouldn't be cool.

And I am way past cool.

* * *

**Thanks for reading everybody. Please remember to leave a review. How else am I supposed to find out if you liked this story or not? **


	3. Author's Note

Hey everybody, this is Storm Hawk 21 with an update notice, author's note, whatever this thing is called. Sorry if you were expecting another chapter, espescially if I haven't updated recently, but I won't be able to post new chapters for a while. Long story short, I didn't do a good job balancing school and my extracurriculars (is that the right spelling? Whatever), which also include writing these stories, so I really need to focus on my studies for now or else I might have to repeat the year, which I really, really do not want to do. I promise I'll update as soon as my grades are more... stable. Or when summer comes and I'm not sweating in summer school. Depends on how the next couple of months go. Again, I humbly/sincerely apologize.


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